Blogging on bureaucracy, organizations, USDA, agriculture programs, American history, the food movement, and other interests. Often contrarian, usually optimistic, sometimes didactic, occasionally funny, rarely wrong, always a nitpicker.
Monday, May 06, 2013
Wisdom from a Man
Via Tyler Cowen at Marginal Revolution, here's words of wisdom from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Liberrals in a Bind on Organic Checkoff?
Liberals, being mostly urban types, tend in my observation to have little sympathy for the various agricultural promotion programs. And libertarians definitely think they're an encroachment on the freedom of the individual producer.
So this line from todays Farm Policy' may set up an interesting conflict:
So this line from todays Farm Policy' may set up an interesting conflict:
"Mr. Lies also noted that, “Schrader said he also is working on an amendment with Rep. Reid Ribble, R-Wis., to establish a national checkoff program for organic producers.”Why? Because I think liberals are also more favorable to the organic movement. Do they support a checkoff to promote organics or do they resist to promote freedom?
Support Beef, Vote Obama?
Who knew the President was a steak man? I thought he was one of those effete liberal crunchies? Guess that impression was wrong.
Saturday, May 04, 2013
I Think It's a Bubble
According to Illinois extension, farmland prices have gone from $3000 to $7000 per acre since 2000.
Friday, May 03, 2013
Ode to the "Greedy Bastards"
Anyone want to write poetry--there's room to convert this Jonathan Bernstein post on "Greedy Bastards and Democracy" into poetry? I think much, maybe all, of agribusiness and the food community would qualify as greedy bastards of some size or another.
Thursday, May 02, 2013
White House Wheat
This year the White House garden has some wheat growing, planted this spring. It puzzles me, because I've always thought of spring wheat as growing further north, but I guess they know what they're doing. They've planted it in rows, rather than broadcast. Again, I don't know why, because motherearthnews definitely talks of broadcasting.
If I'd ever grown wheat, I might mock them as ignorant city slickers, but I never did, so I can't and won't.
If I'd ever grown wheat, I might mock them as ignorant city slickers, but I never did, so I can't and won't.
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
USDA Is Number 2!
But unlike Hertz, in the old days, they don't want to try harder.
Government Executive says USDA has the second biggest gap in the job satisfaction scores between its leadership (SES types) and the rank and file.
The assumption is that the leadership is out of touch, but it's possible the leadership knows what a great job the department is doing while the rank and file is too busy doing it to know.
It's possible.....isn't it?
Naw
Government Executive says USDA has the second biggest gap in the job satisfaction scores between its leadership (SES types) and the rank and file.
The assumption is that the leadership is out of touch, but it's possible the leadership knows what a great job the department is doing while the rank and file is too busy doing it to know.
It's possible.....isn't it?
Naw
Monday, April 29, 2013
An NPR Anniversary Evaluation
Government Executive has a piece on Gore's National Program Review/Reinventing Government project, assessing how it looks 10 years later.
Friday, April 26, 2013
NYTimes on Pigford, Garcia, etc.
The Times has a front page article, their big story for the day, on the course of the various discrimination class action suits against USDA/FSA. The writer apparently talked to a number of career employees, and found a number of cases of fraud. The politicians and the lawyers come across unfavorably.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
What's a Small Family Farmer These Days?
According to ND's new senator:
"“We have small farmers, small family farmers who must spend $1 million before they can even take a crop out of the ground. That is an average farmer in my State. That is how much it costs to engage in farming."
"“We have small farmers, small family farmers who must spend $1 million before they can even take a crop out of the ground. That is an average farmer in my State. That is how much it costs to engage in farming."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)